Robert James Riley, Firearm Charge, South Dakota 2021

MISSION, SOUTH DAKOTA – Robert James Riley, age 40, has been sentenced to 11 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, announced United States Attorney Ron Parsons on February 1, 2021.

Riley was sentenced by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, after pleading guilty on November 5, 2020. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 9, 2020.

The conviction stemmed from Riley possessing a handgun in March 2019 near the South Antelope Community on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation while he was a user of, and addicted to, methamphetamine. Riley admitted to law enforcement he possessed the handgun before he sold it to a methamphetamine trafficker. The handgun was seized by law enforcement during a traffic stop, which also uncovered methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a large amount of U.S. currency.

Drug trafficking is an inherently violent activity. Firearms are tools of the trade for drug dealers. It is common to find drug traffickers armed with guns in order to protect their illegal drug product and cash, and enforce their illegal operations.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The investigation was conducted by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Riley was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. He was also ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

The case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.

Related Federal Cases